


A Song Someone Sings

by rhyfel



Series: Unconnected JatP One-shots [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bobby | Trevor Wilson Being a Jerk, Gen, Happy Ending, Inspired by Anastasia (1997 & Broadway), Light Angst, Minor Character Death, Rose dies at the very beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27373105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhyfel/pseuds/rhyfel
Summary: Rosa Molina was killed, her daughter goes missing, and Ray Molina offers a reward for her safe return. Nine years later, Luke Patterson needs money to make his dream a reality. The two facts are not unconnected.An Anastasia AU for Julie and the Phantoms Appreciation Week day 2: write an AU
Relationships: Julie Molina & Luke Patterson
Series: Unconnected JatP One-shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999471
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53
Collections: JATP Appreciation Week





	A Song Someone Sings

> **Los Angeles, Ca., December 15, 1918**
> 
> **The world mourns the death of Rosa “The Singing Rose” Molina, the greatest opera singer of our time and beloved wife of Raymond Molina, heir to the Molina steel fortune. She was killed outside the Orpheum Theatre, where she was set to perform _Carmen_ this week to sold out crowds. With a voice widely described as “angelic” by those who heard it, we have truly lost a talent that we may never again see in our lifetime. To make the already tragic story worse, Mrs. Molina was with her 10 year old daughter, Julianna at the time. Young Julianna, already a renowned singer and piano prodigy in her own right, is presumed to be dead as well. Though there is no proof, it is speculated that Caleb Covington, owner of popular “Ghost Clubs” across the county, had something to do with her death and the disappearance and supposed death of her daughter. Mr. Covington could not be reached for comment, but sources close to him claim he was in Paris at the time of death. Mr. Molina has offered a reward of $250,000 for the safe return of his daughter. Our thoughts are with the Molina family and we pray young Julianna is found alive.**

* * *

June 29, 1927

Luke Patterson was a boy with a dream. A dream to write and perform songs to sold out crowds all over the United States, and beyond. He dreamed of maybe even one day hearing his songs on the radio. However, in order to make those dreams a reality, he needed money. Which he was greatly lacking. In fact, if he asked his friends and bandmates, Bobby and Alex, how much money he had, they would remind him that he still owed them for last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast.

But Luke also had a plan! A plan to get the money that he needed to make his dream come true. A plan that Bobby and Alex were currently shooting down.

“And how are we to find Julianna Molina? It’s been almost ten years since she went missing. She probably died too!” Alex said, pacing the length of the small room they were in. “It doesn’t matter how big the reward is if we can’t even find her!”

“Alex, you’re missing the point. It’s been _years_. We don’t need to find her, we just need to find someone who’s the right age who kind of, more or less, _looks_ like her.” Luke replied. “A talent for singing and playing the piano would be a plus, but probably not necessary.”

“Wait, you want us to pass off some poor clueless girl as the most famous missing child ever? And you expect this to work?” Bobby cut in, sounding aghast. Luke sighed, annoyed that he had to explain his vision to his bandmates, yet again.

“Yes! She’ll get a nice, _rich_ , new family and we’ll get a quarter of a million dollars. I could find a dozen girls right now who would take that deal.” Luke exclaimed, jumping up from the couch and into Alex’s path. “We just need to find the right one!”

“Say we find one, how do we get access to this, as you have mentioned, very _rich_ and also very _private_ family, who, by the way, moved to New York three years ago!” Alex replied, straying from his course slightly so he could pace around Luke.

“New York? You want us to find a girl and take her across the country? This is officially the worst plan you’ve ever come up with,” Bobby said, flopping into Luke’s vacated seat.

“We’ll hop a train, it’s not a big deal. As for meeting the Molinas, I know someone who can help,” Luke put his hands on Alex’s shoulders, stopping the other boy’s pacing. “Trust me, this will work. I promise.”

Alex sighed heavily and glanced over to Bobby, who shrugged unhelpfully. “Fine, but when this all goes sideways, we go with my plan to make money.”

“Aw come on, Alex. No one wants to get a _job_!” Luke laughed, shoving him away lightly and running towards the door. “Now let’s go. We’ve got a missing girl to find!”

* * *

After three weeks of nonstop searching, Luke was maybe willing to reconsider the life of the gainfully employed. But then Alex would win, which Luke couldn’t let happen, if only to save himself from being miserable for the next seventy years of their friendship, since he’s _sure_ Alex would never let it go.

“Please, Luke, we need money now. Stop looking for the perfect girl and let’s get a job like Alex suggested,” Bobby said after the most recent failure of an audition for their “Julianna”.

“One more, Bobby. Just one more, I’ve got a good feeling about this next one,” Luke replied, ignoring both Bobby’s annoyed huff and the fact that Alex had been asleep for the past three girls that came in.

“You started saying that seven girls ago,” grumbled Bobby as the door opened to let in the next candidate. Luke shoved Bobby to get him to shut up and smiled up at the newest girl. Already she was better than some of the others. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in two braids, but he could tell it had the same curls that both Rosa and Julianna were known for. She was on the short side, but looked the correct age at least, the last one seemed to be closer to eighty than eighteen. But it was when she glanced up shyly, dark brown eyes meeting Luke’s, that he knew he found the perfect Julianna. There, peaking out of her small smile, was a tiny gap in her two front teeth.

“Hi, I’m Julie. I heard you had a job for someone-”

“Stop,” Luke cut her off. “You’re perfect! Alex, wake up. We found her and it’s time to go!” Alex jerked awake, hitting Bobby as he flailed off the couch.

“Wait, what do you mean I’m perfect? Perfect for what?” Julie said, yelping a little when Luke ran up to her to get a better look at her face, and _isn’t that amazing_ , Luke thought, _she even almost has the right name_.

“You are the perfect Julianna Molina, and we are just the people to help you find your family again!” Luke said excitedly.

“No, I’m _just_ Julie. I can’t even remember who my family is. I’m really just here for the job.”

“Amnesia!” Luke yelled at Bobby and Alex, “That’s _perfect_! She lost her memory and it’s just now coming back. That’s why she didn’t come forward earlier. And we are just the good Samaritans delivering her to her loving father and brother.”

“I love a happy ending,” Alex muttered sarcastically to Bobby who replied, “I just hope he stops saying perfect.”

“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” Julie said, voice rising to be heard over Luke’s excited exclamations. “The flyer just said you had a job for a young woman with curly brown hair and brown eyes.”

“And you came?” Alex asked, surprised.

“I really need a job.” Julie responded.

“Julie Molina,” Luke said in a voice that was clearly trying for grandiose.

“That’s not my last name.”

“JULIE MOLINA,” Luke repeated louder, ignoring Julie’s interruption, “we’re about to change your life.”

* * *

Luke Patterson was a boy with a dream, a plan for how to achieve it, and four train tickets on the Western Pacific line from Los Angeles to St. Louis, Missouri. With Alex to teach Julie the finer points of rich people manners, Luke to instruct her on all things Molina and music, and Bobby to provide food and money while they were teaching her, Julie had progressed quite quickly and within two months they felt ready to start the journey to New York.

Sure, Julie still hadn’t sung or played a single note, but she knew everything about Rosa Molina’s career, that she had a younger brother named Carlos, and how to tell the dessert fork from the salad fork. Alex was still a nervous wreck, and Bobby was becoming sullen with each day she went without showing a speck of musical inclination, but as Luke kept telling them, she was ready.

Too bad Luke couldn’t convince himself he was.

The night before they were to leave, he was sitting at the train terminal piano, working through his worries with music. He’d snuck out of the one room flat they were renting, hoping for some peace before the two-day train trip to St. Louis. It wasn’t that Luke was having second thoughts, except that he definitely was. The more time he spent with Julie, the more he saw of her kindness and unique way of seeing the world, the less he wanted to give her up to the Molinas. It wasn’t that Luke didn’t think she could do it; he was just afraid there would be no place in her life for a conman/musician looking to make a name for himself.

He sat at the piano, idly working on a sad melody, when suddenly Julie sat down next to him in a whirl of pink and white floral print. Luke, as had been happening more and more when Julie was around, felt his breath catch in his throat.

“Whatcha playin mister?” Julie teased, lips tilting up in the way that made Luke want to lean forward and kiss her, just to see what it felt like.

“Just something I’ve been working on. It’s not done yet,” Luke replied, trying to avoid looking at her lips and finding himself lost in her eyes instead.

“It’s lovely,” Julie said, then paused. Luke stared as she hesitantly put her fingers on the keys and began to play. “Have you thought of adding something like this?” Luke couldn’t tell if it was the notes or the melody or just Julie herself, but everything in that moment was perfect. He wanted to capture the feeling the was filling up his chest and never let it go.

“You’re amazing,” he said softly, before realizing what was happening. “Wait, Julie! You’re playing!” Julie removed her fingers from the piano abruptly, shoving them into her lap and ducking her head forward.

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

“No, Julie, that was some of the best music I’ve ever heard! Don’t apologize. Here, what do you think is missing from this,” he said as he played a quick tune and began to sing. At first, he thought she wouldn’t play again, until ever so tentatively, she joined in. Humming a soft harmony to his singing, then playing along. Soon, it was just Julie, belting the song like she already knew it. It was the most beautiful sound Luke had ever heard in his life. He’d been a young boy working outside the Orpheum when he heard Rosa Molina sing, but he knew without a doubt that Julie was better.

When the song ended, he found himself once again staring. She was radiant in the dim light of the train station. Luke wanted to stay there forever, just making music together. It had never felt so easy as it did with Julie. And in a little more than three days she would be out of his life and he’d never have it again.

“Hey, let’s get out of here,” Luke said, jumping up from the piano bench.

“Yeah, we should get back to the guys,” Julie responded, smiling up at him as she stood as well. “We’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

Luke shook his head. “No. I mean, yeah, let’s get the guys, but then let’s _not_ get on the train tomorrow. We can stay here, in LA, write music, make a name for ourselves. We don’t need to get involved with the Molinas. We have each other.” Luke reached out, grabbing her hands desperately, trying to get her to understand without having to say the words.

Julie looked torn, a small furrow between her brows that Luke want to wipe away. “Do you think I can’t do it?” she said softly, and Luke felt three inches tall for making her sound like that.

“Julie, there is no doubt in my mind that you can do this,” Luke said, thinking _because you are Julianna Molina._ “I just- you make me better and I’m scared there won’t be a place for me in your new life. Not just me. Alex and Bobby also. Me and Alex and Bobby. In your new life I mean.” Luke rambled nervously while Julie smiled up at him fondly.

“There will always be a place for you with me,” she replied, a faint blush warming her cheeks, “All of you.”

* * *

St. Louis was so different from Los Angeles. Luke felt like he was breathing soup with how thick the air felt. And everything felt _wet_ , all of his clothes sticking to him uncomfortably. He was carrying Julie’s bag, along with his own, but couldn’t find it in himself to regret the extra weight when he saw Julie darting around the station looking at every new thing excitedly.

“Next train to New York is tomorrow; I’ll go find us a place to stay.” Bobby announced as he came back from a ticket counter. “Stay here, I’ll be back soon.”

Alex, who had been getting more and more anxious the closer they came to their goal, gave a hum of acknowledgement as he shifted from foot to foot, looking like he wanted to start pacing. Luke just waved, eyes locked onto Julie’s bouncing form in the distance.

“What are you going to do?” Alex asked as Bobby walked away. “When we get the money and she’s gone to live with her new family? Or are you going to ask her to leave them and come with us?”

Luke glared up at him, “No, no, I’d never do that. We played music the other night, before we got on the train. She- she played Wake Up. I mean, I started it, but then she just knew where to go with it and…”

“She’d only be able to do that if she heard it before. She really is Julianna Molina.” Alex finished looking up to see Julie sprinting towards them.

“The next train to New York leaves in 30 minutes, we need to go!” Julie yelled, skidding along the ground as she attempted to stop her momentum. “Where’s Bobby?”

Luke leapt to his feet, and started running the direction Bobby had been heading, shouting behind him, “He just left! Get on the train, I’ll go find him.”

Luke pushed through the crowds of passengers, forcing himself in between families and commuters, ignoring the angry comments that followed in his wake. When he burst through the doors, he glanced around frantically, looking for Bobby’s dark hair on the street.

“Bobby, the train is leaving right now, we need to get back, come on!” Luke said, grabbing onto Bobby’s arm and pulling him back. But Bobby didn’t move. His face was a mask, covering some emotion Luke couldn’t figure out.

“No, Luke, listen,” Bobby started, “Julie’s nice and all, but Caleb Covington wants Julianna Molina dead, and he’s willing to pay. Way more than the reward her father put out. Plus, we’d get to work at his club after. It’s a win-win!”

“She’s our friend, and you’re going to sell her out? I can’t believe you!” Luke yelled, pushing Bobby away.

"Covington is bad news. We don’t want to get in his way. There’s no proof this girl is Julianna Molina and even if the Molinas accept her, they’ll protect _her_ from Covington, not us. Who’s to say she’ll even care about us once she’s living the high life? We’re putting our lives in danger for nothing!”

Luke felt tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, his breath coming out in unsteady pants. Bobby’s face softened. “Come on, Luke, it’ll be you, me, and Alex, playing in front of sold out crowds, like we always wanted. You don’t owe this girl anything. And she’d do the same if she were in our place.”

“No, she wouldn’t. She’s better than you, and she’s definitely better than me. And she would never abandon us.” Then Luke shoved Bobby down and ran back to the train, hoping he wasn’t too late.

Alex and Julie were waiting just outside a train car’s door, peering around with their bags at their feet. Luke started waving them in, yelling “Go! Get on!” as the train began to move. With one flying leap and with the help of Alex’s outstretched hand, he made it onto the train, panting.

“Luke,” Alex asked frantically, holding on to him desperately as if afraid he’d fall out, “Luke, _where’s Bobby?_ ”

And Luke finally lets the tears fall.

* * *

Alex wasn’t the only person pacing the aisles of the train cars as they pulled into Grand Central Station in New York. Once the train left St. Louis, Luke told Julie and Alex what Bobby had done and all three of them were on edge. They were sure that Caleb wasn’t on the train with them, but that didn’t give them much of a head start, so when they got to New York, they knew that they needed to move fast.

“Alright Luke, who is this mysterious person who can help us get a meeting with the richest family in the city?” Alex said as they got off the train. “I’ve been patient this long, but now we have to meet actually meet them.”

Luke pretended not to hear, pointing Julie towards the stairs at the end of the platform. And then he pretended not to hear again when they were in the station and he was pointing Julie to the doors to the street. And again when he directed her north. Finally, Alex grabbed onto Luke’s shoulders and said, “Fess up, who is it?”

“Reggie.” Luke replied, and then quickly pointed Julie down another street.

“Luke. You did not just say Reginald is the person who you are asking to risk their neck to help us get a meeting with Ray Molina,” Alex said, hands tightening almost painfully.

“Ow man, loosen up. Reggie is happy to help! And obviously it’ll all be fine now.” Luke said while glancing meaningfully at Julie. He still hadn’t found the right time to tell her the truth and was sort of just hoping it would all work out without him having to say it.

“You could have gotten him fired!” Alex yelled, clearly not caring about Luke’s excuses. “I thought your plan was to write them a letter or show up at their company or something! I can’t believe you dragged Reg into your dumb scheme!”

“Why not, he dragged you into it,” Luke heard Reggie’s eternally cheerful voice before he saw him coming up behind Alex. “And I told him I’d be happy to help when he sent the letter last month! The Molinas are great, why wouldn’t I want them to be reunited with Julianna?”

“Last month?” Alex repeated shrilly, slapping Luke’s arm. Luke pouted back and gave him a light shove. Alex just shoved him back.

“I’m not actually Julianna,” Julie hesitantly offered to Reggie, when Luke and Alex escalated the fight until the two of them were practically wrestling on the sidewalk.

“Wait, you’re going to lie to them?” Reggie yelped, joining the wrestling. “I can’t lie to Ray!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Alex said, pulling himself out of the fight. “This is ridiculous. Luke, tell them.” Luke stood up, straightening out his clothes, then Reggie’s clothes, then _Alex’s_ clothes before he had nothing else to fix and he had to look at Julie. She was watching him, and Luke could tell she was thinking he was going to explain their plan to Reggie. She gave him a comforting smile that he really didn’t feel like he deserved.

“You know that song we – or well, you really – sang the night before we left LA?” Luke started, “I learned it from Rosa Molina. She was singing it to her daughter outside the Orpheum the night she died, and I overheard it. You sang it perfectly and the only way you could have known was…”

“Was if I was her daughter. If I _am_ Julianna Molina.” Julie finished. “But, why didn’t you tell me?”

Luke wanted to lie. Wanted to tell her that it would hurt worse if she _knew_ she was Julianna and her family still rejected her. That he was trying to protect her from Covington or Bobby. But standing there, on the streets of New York, staring into her beautiful brown eyes that were swimming with tears, all he had was the truth.

“I love you, Julie. And I was afraid that if you knew who you really were, you would leave.”

“I told you there would always be a place for you with me!” Julie said, tears streaming down her face.

Luke ached to brush them away, to take her face into his hands, but he held himself back. “That was before you knew who you were. I’m a conman and a failed musician and a teenage runaway. You’re rich and famous and like it or not, there isn’t a place for me in your life.”

“Maybe I will be those things, but if I am, I get to decide what that means for me. And I decide that there is a place for you.” She reached out and grabbed his hands. “I may be Julianna Molina, but if I have to, I will choose you.” Julie pulled him into a hug, and he had a moment to be surprised by her strength, before all he was thinking about was being him her arms and having her in his.

Reggie had to ruin it when he cut in, and said, “So, wait, when you wrote to me telling me you found Julianna Molina, you _were_ planning to lie to them about it.”

“I mean, yeah? But now we don’t have to, so that’s nice!” Luke replied, smiling sheepishly at him.

“But you planned to!” Reggie shouted and started the wrestling up again.

* * *

Luke was anxiously pacing the hallway, staring at the closed door every time he passed it.

“So, did you guys switch personalities while I was gone, or…?” Reggie said, leaning into Alex’s space on the couch. Alex just rolled his eyes fondly. Reggie, true to his word, had gotten them a meeting with Ray Molina and Luke had been a bundle of nerves ever since. But this was the worst part. The waiting. Luke _knew_ that Julie was the lost Molina child, but what if Ray didn’t see that? What if Julie _cried_ again? Then Luke would start crying and maybe he would need to punch Ray for making Julie cry and then Reggie would cry because he liked Ray and then Alex would probably punch Luke in the face for making Reggie cry and Luke didn’t want to be punched in the face so Ray better not reject Julie.

And maybe he and Alex did switch personalities because Luke definitely felt like he was experiencing an Alex spiral.

“Maybe I should just go in there,” Luke said, “I can explain the whole thing. I’ll just go in there.” But before Alex and Reggie could stop him, the door opened and out walked Julie. Luke could tell she had been crying, but the huge smile on her face told him everything he needed to know.

It didn’t matter what came next. They would all be in it together.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to chat with me, head to my tumblr!
> 
> rhyming-fellowship.tumblr.com


End file.
